I've mentioned before about how it's important that not only do we deal with abuse outside our schools, but that we carry the same type of treatment of abuse IN our schools as well.
Eliminating the term "bully" and calling the actions what they are, abuse, and then punishing for those acts is essential to raising kids to not take abuse.
Moreover, it's important that the authority figures show that they don't support, encourage, or ignore ANY form of abuse. When kids feel that the authority figures can be trusted to respond to abuse, even when the abuse appears trivial in the eyes of the authority figures, you instill in kids not only that abuse is wrong, but that reporting it is the correct choice for ending that abuse. You also instill in kids that authority figures can be trusted. Such feelings tend to continue on into adulthood.
A lot of kids have, intentionally or unintentionally, been made to feel they can't trust authority figures. The abuse of these kids over the years are, either actually or only preceived, are ignored, downplayed, or even encouraged by some authority figures. The reasons vary to some degree, just as the reasons and forms of abuse vary.
But, there are also times when authority figures put themselves in situations, intentionally or otherwise, that make them appear untrustworthy. Or certainly less approachable. Sometimes it doesn't have anything directly to do with kids or abuse. But the result is still that the authority figure has become less approachable and less trusted.
It doesn't always have to be a school authority figure.
[URL]http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2006Oct10/0,4670,ProsecutorIndecencyCharges,00.html[/URL]
We don't know yet why he did it. Depression, mental break, just plain stupid? We can laugh at it, yes. But the truth is, what beyond that do we feel? What would a kid feel beyond the humor? Would they feel anything beyond the humor? This person is an authority figure. How will this affect a kid's view of authority figures?
Or how about a school official.
[URL]http://www.wwaytv3.com/Global/story.asp?S=5516740[/URL]
TV reports say that students have been joking and laughing about this event. Ok, we probably are doing the same thing. What next? Do the kids take him seriously as an authority figure now? Can kids approach him with concerns such as abuse now? Whether we think it rational or irrational for a student to think they can or can't is, actually, irrelevant. It's more important what the student does feel after this. And how does it affect their preception of other authority figures.
Or how about these:
[URL]http://www.wwaytv3.com/Global/story.asp?s=5423655[/URL]
[URL]http://www.wwaytv3.com/Global/story.asp?s=5409809[/URL]
(The comment "The Boiling Spring Lakes Police Department say Officer Stidham's behavior is not reflection on the rest of the officers." sounds all well and good, but does anyone believe it doesn't have an effect on the impressions of others in regards to how authority figures are viewed?)
[URL]http://www.wwaytv3.com/Global/story.asp?s=5472615[/URL]
("Surprisingly enough, investigators say the victim in this case is the same victim in the case of the Boiling Spring Lakes police officer arrested for sex crimes two weeks ago." See previous story.)
[URL]http://www.wwaytv3.com/Global/story.asp?s=4767957[/URL]
[URL]http://www.wwaytv3.com/Global/story.asp?s=2808756[/URL]
[URL]http://www.wwaytv3.com/Global/story.asp?s=1260949[/URL]
[URL]http://www.wwaytv3.com/Global/story.asp?s=1213709[/URL]
[URL]http://www.wwaytv3.com/Global/story.asp?s=1157976[/URL]
And those were just local events spread out over time (in some cases).
How about a few national and worldwide:
[URL]http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3823944a11,00.html[/URL]
[URL]http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=5511622&nav=4QcS[/URL]
[URL]http://www.langleytimes.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=47&cat=23&id=744985&more[/URL]=
[URL]http://abcnews.go.com/US/LegalCenter/wireStory?id=2529502[/URL]
[URL]http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=5510565&nav=0RbQ[/URL]
[URL]http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/091706StudentRape.html[/URL]
I could go on for pages. It's easy to look up "school shootings" and say "oh, look what another kid did". But how many pages of bad acts do you get when you look up "teacher charged" or "principal charged"? And what about "police officer charged"?
It's all well and good to go to a summit on violence and say "we should take bullying seriously". But what kind of authority figures are around these kids? I only touched on a few cases. And yes, there are a variety of reasons people might give for some of these events happening. But it still comes down to how the kids preceive these and other authority figures because of the actions of these individuals and others like them.
Remember, most of what I brought up above refer to sex crimes. But not all bad acts have to do with sex.
And, no, I'm not suggesting we expect every authority figure to be perfect. But the fact is, when authority figures DO act in such manners, it DOES have an effect on how authority figures are preceived by others, including kids. They may not know how to express their views all the time, but they do feel less inclined to trust authority figures.
The solution is as difficult as finding solutions to ALL the different forms of violence. One way, of course, is to turn the tables. Stereotypes take hold because the bad usually gets more attention than the good. Even if the good out number the bad by great numbers. Push more authority figures to be seen and heard in good ways may, in a large way, help to push back those living up to the negative seterotypes. In doing so, those who felt authority figures were less trustworthy and approachable will see that the bad are just bad and the good are the ones who are approachable and trustworthy, thereby eliminating the stereotype.
And by making the good authority figures more approachable and trustworthy, we increase the chance of kids reporting abuse, having the abuse diminished and/or stopped, and reduce the chance of escalation of violence, whether towards others or towards one's self.
Does that solve EVERY problem out there? Not bloody likely. Shame too. But I'll take making a big dent in the prolbem over doing nothing any day. It doesn't take a room full of experts or even one expert to know that anything that reduces violence is a good thing. Chip away with as many ideas to all the different problems as one can.
nightwng2000
NW2K Software
